kalends
by stanzas
Summary: not all bad things happen on his birthday — then again, maybe they do. Jason-centric.


_**title**_: kalends

_**summary**_: not all bad things happen on his birthday — then again, maybe they do.

_**rating**_: t

_**disclaimer**_: rick riordan owns jason&co.

_**a/n**_- happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear jason — (and your friends are in _helllll~_) —happppy birthday to you!

* * *

**_the kalends of july_**

* * *

_**::**__ides__**::**_

/ She likes to think it was just a _phase_. Her mother could get better, couldn't she?

_Or not_, the unhelpful part of her brain retorted. Seeing as you're alone- in a _grocery _store- buying two dollar items for your brother because _she_ can't move ten feet from her bed.

The cashier at the register gives her an evil eye as she touches her fingertips against one of the many birthday balloons hanging from the wall. She barely could scrape up enough money to buy a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and a jar of raspberry jam. There was no way she could get a balloon.

Thalia closed her eyes and took her hand away. She put the bread, jam, and peanut butter on the counter at the register and the old cashier is glaring at her the whole time like she expects Thalia to run away with the food and not pay for any of it but oh she just doesn't know her story.

"Where's your mother, dear?" the lady asks her, maybe to attempt to show kindness, or maybe if she gets a wrong answer she can call the police and get Thalia thrown in overnight. Thalia hated to think what would happen to her brother if he was left alone with their mother- _no_, she refused to think like that. It wasn't going to happen. She'd never let Jason out of her sight. (Unless it's quick visits to the Co-op so her and her brother don't starve inside their house-)

"She's waiting in the car," Thalia lies through her teeth and attempts a child-like innocent smile, which doesn't fool the cashier one bit. "Just outside."

"Why don't you bring her in, I'm sure it's more responsible," the register lady suggests.

"No," Thalia grits through her teeth. "Can I get my stuff now?"

With a glare she drops it in a bag without even asking- _paper or plastic, m'am_- like the other boy who works on the weekdays except today is a _Saturday_ and she's stuck with the nasty mean old lady who treats her more like an annoying pest or a bug rather than a customer.

"Thank you," Thalia spits out, taking the bag and leaving the store. Truthfully, there is no car waiting to pick her up and gods forbid, she ever let her mother drive after a night like before. She doubted even if her mother was capable of driving, she'd _never_ get in the car anyways.

She shivered behind a deserted bus space and her fingers trembled and slowly started to numb while she gripped the paper bag with her small store items and waited for the bus to arrive. Her brother was hopefully still taking a nap and their mother passed out somewhere in her room, probably suffering a severe migraine from her hangover due to the night before...

Thalia winced as she heard the shattering of broken glass fly right by her ear. "_It's all your fault he's gone!_" her mother screeched and Thalia flinched away from her, shielding Jason's head. Jason was crying, wailing hysterically, because of her mother's obscene screeches and the sounds of breaking glass.

Then there was the hot red flash of _painpainpain_ as some of the glass whizzes by Thalia's ear again and catches the side of her hair and blood drops down from the side of her hair onto the white tile floor, where they used to sit for dinner and watch movies and-

She closed her eyes and breathed out. Last night was a memory, she convinced herself inside her mind. A memory, a dull red stain like the blood she left on the tile because it _stuckstucksuck_ to it just like the memories inside her head. A memory except for the band aid across her cheek and her ear where the glass cut right through her skin.

Finally, the bus arrives at the stop and she pays the change to drop her off farther from the city and much closer to her mother's house than walking. Her feet are numb and the bus smells of tobacco and alcohol, all too similar to the smell- oh, the smell- inside her house. Of alcohol and smoke. Of pain and grief. Of hopelessness and the cries of a baby too young to be left alone and the smell of Thalia's bitterness she's kept bent up all over the years.

She wants to scream- screamscream_scream_- at the world, at her mother, her '_blasted, good-for-nothing father_' who's left her with a woman who's unstable and barely able to care for herself, and a little brother who hasn't even been potty trained yet and it's just so -so so _so_- unfair to leave his daughter, who isn't even yet hit _ten_ to take care of all of it. She can't get a job, she can't pay the bills, she can't even buy _groceries_ in a store without getting hawk-like glares from all the older working class in the room because she's just a _child_-

The bus halts and she nearly slams into the seat in front of her. Shaking her head, she gathers her sticky plastic bag that's sweating through the bottom because her lap is warm and it's just so cold outside and the bread rolls around inside and gets squished to the side and she winces because- _oops_, yet again, she's crushed the bread.

She turns around in time to see the bus drive away from the stop and she sighs heavily, because now it's time to walk up the really tall hill up to her house and she's just so tired. She's tired of her life. The hill is just a figure of the challenges she has to face, and then when she's at the top and thinks its all over and she can finally sit back and enjoy happily ever after like the stories her father used to read to her when he was with them- but no, when she's made the top, all she sees on the horizon is just _another_ hill to climb.

Inside the house, it's quiet, which she supposed was a good thing. She put the bag on the counter and went to grab a plate when she heard a crash inside the cabinet. Thalia's eyes widened in fear and turned around, her heart beating out of her throat as she opened the door and-

"-Ddaaa Lia!" Jason shrieked and giggled at her. "Lia Lia Lia!"

"Jason," she tried for her best mommy tone to scold him. "Get out of the pots, you silly boy!"

"Lia!" he answered her, because that was about the only thing he could say. That and _whoosh_- his imaginary friend, who he claimed could make him fly. (That would explain the time she found him sitting at the top of the tree with no explanation as to how he got up there.)

He danced his feet around happily before a pan fell off the top and onto the top of his head. His giggles echoed inside the empty pot and Jason clapped his hands three times before Thalia pushed it off and pulled him out of the cabinet.

"Who let you in there?" she asked the toddler, tickling his stomach teasingly. Jason laughed and pulled at her hair instead, making farting noises with his tongue and gurgling.

Thalia put him in the toddler chair way up so he wouldn't crawl around the house and start eating things or impaling his head into furniture- he'd already tried to eat a stapler the month before- and made some peanut butter sandwiches. She gave Jason a bowl of soft bananas and he mashed his entire hand into the bowl and gave himself banana running stripes across his cheeks, making both of them laugh.

So maybe the cashier had been right to suspect Thalia for shoplifting, she thought, as she pulled a paper cone over Jason's head that said; _Happy Birthday!_ in colorful kiddy-font and he giggled and looked at the cone confused, like; _what is this and why is it on my head,_ and she laughed, because her life might suck and things seemed rotten, but Jason was the one shining moment of her life that told her things would get better.

.

.

.

"What do you mean he's _gone_?" Thalia screamed at her mother, near hysteria. Her mother was shaking herself, either from fear or trying to hold herself together from crying. Thalia just felt numb; numbing beyond words, more numb than a cold night on a bus from the grocery store to pick up bread for Jason and his refusal - _"No Wonderbread. Candy! Lia, I wanna candy!_" - to eat so.

But now her mother is sobbing and holding herself and saying 'he's gone' and at first Thalia was confused until she saw the little toddler shoe sitting lost on the ground and then her vision blurred because-

he's gone  
he's _gonegonegone_-  
_HE'S GONE_

It was supposed to be a picnic, celebrating Jason's second birthday and their happiness for a month but she knew it wouldn't last, she knew-

"Juno took her," her mother cried fake tears into oblivion. "She warned me, told me to take him here and-"

"You _let_ her!" Thalia screamed. "You let her take my _baby brother_, you selfish, _evil_- I wish you weren't my mother!" The last part was shrill.

And then even more blows; "_I hate you!_"

The last part wasn't a lie, as she ran away from the scene, her mother, the car, Jason's old sneaker still lying sideways on the grass and the tears started to fall down her face and made her eyes sting, but she couldn't turn back, no, _never_; his second birthday- her little _brother_ - and as his present he was taken away and maybe dead, but he's _gone_ and he's _never_ coming back.

.

.

.

::_nones_::

/ "When's your birthday, then?" Dakota asked. "Don't tell me you don't have one."

Jason winced and smiled apologetically at his friend. "Sorry man, I've never had one."

"No birthday?" Gwen demanded. "That is uncool."

"It's fine," Jason insisted. "I don't think I've ever had one. Juno just dropped me off at camp and hid me somewhere until I was old enough to walk. I doubt it matters."

"Yes it does," his other friend insisted. "You'll see."

.

.

.

He groaned and sat up while a healer told him to sit back down. "I gotta check on Bobby," he insisted, even though his head was dizzy and his stomach knotted in pain. He remembered the flash of gold through his stomach as one of the lances broke loose and knocked him in the chest and cut through his stomach, while the other hit Bobby-

"He's fine," the healer insisted. "You have to sit down."

She pushed him back in the cot and his eyes danced with painpain_pain_ and he was pretty sure he threw up at least once; it was hard to tell with the yellow dots in his vision, he wished just to pass out.

Another wave of pain flashed through his throat and he wanted to die. Done in by a war games accident, he thought distantly. The almighty son of Jupiter defeated by a legionnaire who couldn't control their own sword.  
Somewhere off to the side the medic poured healing nectar over his wound and he blacked out.

.

.

.

Dakota opened the door shyly, Gwen and Hannah and a few others behind them. "Happy Birthday," Dakota said.

Jason groaned and attempted to sit up, but instead slumped back into his cot. "Not cool, guys."

"We figured you needed something to cheer you up," Gwen said. "Considering you're just about dead."

"'M fine," Jason said. "How's Bobby?"

"Back on his feet, thanks to you," Hannah said. "Why in the world would you step in front of that lance? You could have died."

"Death is a state of mind," Jason said.

"Your _mental problem_ is a state of mind," Dakota said.

"We only stay dead for a little while," Jason said.

"Centaur poop, when you die, you're _dead_," Gwen said. "Seriously Jase, you scared us. We didn't know if you'd make it."

"Aaah, you guys knew I'd be fine."

"Me and Devin made bets to see if you'd live," James, a legacy of Mercury, offered from the door.

"Thanks," Jason said. Gwen helped push in a cart of balloons and he groaned again, this time out of irritation. "Guys, you really didn't have to-"

"Yes we did," Bobby corrected. He saw Jason glance at the giant platter and grinned. "I know you want some cake."

"Blah," Jason said. "You guys are crazy."

"Crazy _good_," Gwen laughed, slicing him a large piece of cake. "Eat up, birthday boy."

.

.

.

Jason rolled a jellybean between his fingers and lazily tossed it to the dogs, who growled at it like the candy might be a possible threat.  
"They can't eat those," Reyna chided from her chair.

"But I can," he stretched his hand over her desk and grabbed a jellybean, popping it in his mouth. "_Mmhmm_. Sugar good."

She slapped his hand away when he went for more. "Stop that, or next time I'll use my knife."

"You're just saying that because you don't want me eating your precious sugar babies," Jason teased.

"I'm warning you," Reyna said in a growl, signing another slip to be sent to New Rome. "Hey, what's the date?"

"September fourth," Jason ignored her warning and popped another jelly bean into his mouth. "Happy birthday to me, _yay_."

She raised an eyebrow. "It's your birthday?"

He shrugged and laid down on the desk so she was upside down to him. "I don't really know my birthday, but a few years ago the legion made up a date for me. September fourth."

"Well, happy birthday," Reyna said. "Now get off my desk before I stab you."  
Jason laughed and rolled off the side, missing his chair, and slammed into the floor. He groaned and cursed, while Reyna finally laughed.

.

.

.

_::kalends::_

/ The two of them stared at each other a moment before Thalia ran over to hug him. Jason grinned at his sister and asked "How's the hunt going?"

"Few monsters here, few monsters there, nothing I can't handle," she grinned wickedly at him. "How's camp?"

She avoided the unspoken words that he was sure both in their minds;_ the quest. The prophecy._

"Good," Jason said. "Leo's almost done with the ship, we'll hopefully be heading for the east by next month."

He caught her disapproving look. "I know it's insane, Thalia, but I gotta do this quest. I don't really have a choice."

"No," Thalia frowned deeply. "It's not the quest."

"Then what is it?" he made a face.

"Next month, you said?" she asked. "_Darn_."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'd have to miss my brother's sixteenth birthday." she managed a smile. "Big sixteen, huh, little brother?"

"I'd be older than you."

"Technically," she said. "no. I'm older than you by about seven years."

"That's hardly fair."

"I'll see if I can get a few rounds of happy birthday through iris message on July first," Thalia promised. "You'll be up for it?"

"If there's any signal in Greece, hopefully." Then he frowned. "July first?"

"Yeah, also the day Juno popped by and stole you away." she noticed his distracted expression. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just find it ironic a son of Jupiter is born on the sacred day to Juno," the corner of his mouth twisted into a smile. "The Kalends of July. Happy birthday to me."

"Not yet, you haven't. Be sure to get your driver's license."

"Yay. _Driving_," Jason said without enthusiasm.

She laughed and hugged him one last time. "See you around, little brother."

.

.

.

From the side of the ship, Jason could already see the islands ahead reaching out to face them. Hazel had been crying the entire hour, while Frank was in shock. Leo seemed to be fuming silently to himself.

Piper was hiccuping into his shirt, but Jason's mind was spinning. He could barely believe- how could- ?

Nico di Angelo sat across from them, looking pale as death. According to what he'd said, Percy and Annabeth were still alive, traveling through the deepest darkest pit in existence and heading for the doors of death.  
That was, if they could pass the challenges ahead...

Jason looked warily at the mountains in the distance. He'd read the Argonautica before, simply because he was interested in his namesake while in the legion. He recalled the tale of the Symplegades, where Jason and his crew had crossed through a pass in the mountains by the use of following a dove through the clouded air.

He glanced at his crew. He didn't know if they would survive the clashing rocks; let alone make it that far. Monsters would be attacking them non stop along the way.

About a quarter hour later, Leo called a group meeting below deck. Coach Hedge promised to keep the ballistae armed and fend off any sudden attacks. Jason was too tired to argue.

Inside, Hazel and Leo were already fighting. Leo said something about the fall being his fault, while Hazel told him to shut it. Both of them glared at each other and Piper stepped in.

"Listen guys, we've gotta keep it together. Percy and Annabeth are counting on us." Both of them went silent.

Throughout the meeting, Jason felt distant, like he was drifting through water. At one point Piper waved a hand in front of his face to get his attention. "You in there?"

"Hmm? What? Oh. Sorry." She looked concerned at his lack of participation.

"This is just _perfect_," Leo muttered. "And it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, I think we all just have really bad luck," Jason told him. "Trust me."

Piper put her hand on top of his and Nico took a deep breath and sighed. Jason grumbled under his breath; "Happy freaking birthday to me."

"What?" The others heard his undertone.

"Nothing," Jason said, his eyes set on the flickering image of camp halfblood and the campers walking around the fields at peace, not knowing what terrible darkness was headed their way. "Just wishing myself another completely horrible birthday."

.

.

.


End file.
